Catalog Request

California Drought

Just in case you thought we’d exhausted the topic of bizarrely unpleasant side effects of the drought plaguing the Western US, here’s one more to chuck on the pile: rattlesnakes. According to CBS News, scarcity of ground water is driving rodents closer to homes and neighborhoods to quench their thirst. And where the vermin go, the snakes follow, with the result that “Rattlesnakes are Slithering Closer to Homes in Northern California.”

The snake removal specialist quoted in the article reports a record year for his business, netting over 70 snakes in a single week. Incidentally, he keeps them alive in a room and releases them back into the wild—which, if you live in Sacramento, may not be the most comforting part of the article.

I mean, not to creep anybody out, but RATTLESNAKES!

I’m knocking on all kinds of wood as I tell you that I happen to live in a part of the country where rattlesnakes aren’t found, but I did have a glancing encounter with one as a kid at camp. As I remember it, one of my grown-up relatives took a shovel to the creature and lopped off its head—a technique frowned upon by the reliable sources below, I’m sure.

So, what does one do if one comes across one of these nasty pieces of work, whether on the trail or in your garage? First of all, do your homework!

The US Forest Service offers a Snake Safety handout, with precautions, first aid, and some really enlightening snake facts. My favorite is the DOs and DON’Ts section—turns out Hollywood’s old cut-and-suck method is a no-no.

WikiHow has a fantastically thorough 10-step list (“How to Avoid a Rattlesnake Attack”) that starts with knowing how to identify a rattler, and ends with what to do in case of a bite.

Washington State’s Trail Association has a page dedicated specifically to “How to Hike in Rattlesnake Country.” Tips include how to identify signs that a rattler is near, how to safely photograph snakes, and what special considerations to make when hiking with dogs.

With all the other drama of this particular crisis, I really hope an infestation isn’t part of your experience this year. But if it is, learn what you need to do to keep your household safe. And for more info on other biters, stingers, and suckers, see our “First Aid for Insect Bites and Stings.”

Not to beat a parched horse, but here’s an angle on the drought in the western US that we hadn’t considered. Turns out the shortage of water in California is making millionaires out of individuals and organizations with extra stores or claims to private sources.

According to the AP, in an article titled, “In Dry California, Water Fetching Record Prices,” the price of water has increased by ten times in the last five years, reaching past $2000 per acre-foot. The resource is sold at auctions, with large farms and cities among the bidders. One private water storage district in Bakersfield wrangled in $13.5 million in a single transaction!

One of the most interesting points in the article is the description of water banks—essentially massive, underground water storage facilities where surplus is banked in years of plenty. Kind of makes my rain barrel look a little paltry!

On the other hand, if each of us took a page from California’s most prudent large-scale water storage facilities, maybe we’d be less dependent on the kinds of exorbitant transactions that grow out of desperate demand.

By now, most of you have probably seen this historic image of the California snowpack. In January, NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) released photos showing the dramatic effect the California drought has had on the state’s landscape and snowpack.

As the picture below shows, much of the greenery, snowpack depth, and precipitation in California’s Sierra region has dramatically decreased within just a year. According to Southern California’s NBC affiliate station, the runoff from the California mountain range is a key source of water for California communities and growers. It accounts for about one-third of the state’s water.

In late March, the Sierra Nevada region received some much needed snowfall, but Mark Cowin, Department of Water Resources director, believed even then that the drought was far from over. Fast forward to early April—surveyors skied into the Sierra Nevada to measure the snowpack level. Surveyors measure the amount of water that melts from the snowpack into the streams and reservoirs below. In April, the snowpack was about 32 percent of the average water content.

The most recent measurement of the snowpack, taken on May 1st, reveals that the situation is not getting any better. After taking the final measurement of the snowpack for the wet season, California’s Department of Water Resources revealed that the snowpack is now at 18 percent of its average water content level. SoCal’s NBC news station states, “Water managers have said the northern Sierra snowpack that feeds California's major reservoirs is 9 percent of average, and those reservoirs are only half full.”

Since the snowpack is a major source of water in the state, its depletion is a serious issue for the entire state, especially with the hot and dry summer months approaching.

As Mark Cowin stated, “This drought is a wake-up call that we all have to take water conservation seriously and make it a way of life.” You can take simple steps now to practice water conservation. Learn how to conserve water by taking our “Gallon Challenge—EE Style” You’ll be surprised by how much water you use in a typical day, especially when you only have one gallon for your cooking, drinking, and sanitation needs. Use this challenge to determine how much water to have in your family’s home water storage.

If you would like to know what to do to begin conserving water, check out this article to get started: 45 Ways to Conserve Water.